Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin film pressure gauges are capable of measuring dynamic shock pressures of at least 25 GPa with nanosecond time resolution for impact-loading conditions. The performance and lifetime of PVDF gauges impacted by a detonator flyer were investigated. The pressure history in the gauge was varied by varying the flyer travel distance and the thickness of the gauge backer, which determined the delay time for reflected shocks. The measured pressure histories were compared with the results of shock code calculations. Agreement between the measured and calculated histories was good for times less than 1.5 mu s after impact. Even small details in the measured signal could be explained by the propagation of shock and rarefaction waves and their interactions with each other and material boundaries. The results give confidence that the gauges yield accurate, dynamic data for 1 mu s to 1.5 mu s after impact.